Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Any way you slice or dice it, 2008 definitely was the "year that was" - so much happened, so much changed! Right here in New York, Governor Eliot Spitzer aka Client 9 had to step down in shame. David Paterson became New York's first black (and legally blind) Governor. Some called it Serendipity. Barack Hussein Obama was elected our President. And then there was all the other craziness between January and December. Here are a few good Buzzwords from 2008 (The New York Times revisits some of the hop topics and catchphrases from this past year)

Cuban blogger Retazos[ES] shares some of her wishes for 2009. Gaurav Mishra at Gauravonomics digs into the Indian Blogosphere to find the top five events in 2008, in which the Indian blogosphere itself became newsworthy.

Say Goodbye to 2008: through work, through the Net, through this blog and just by walking down the road, I have met many incredible people this year. I have heard and seen wonderful things, like One Self's music. I was sad to hear about the many who crossed on and over, and glad to hear of those whose time came close, but not yet...

Twitter gains 5,000 to 10,000 new users each day. The future of Twitter.

It really and truly pisses me off when some knucklehead makes a comment like the one I heard today on the radio: "Lady GaGa is the new Madonna." A statement like that is the last thing a hardworking performing artist or group wants to hear. It brands that person as less than whole, as a copycat or a rip-off artist (while the REAL rip-off artists are heaped with praise, but that's another story!)

You NEVER want to hear that you are the "new and so and so" - it's a slap in the face, spit in the eye, and the idiot (in this case the female disc jockey) who started that kind of talk, well, she should be regarded as a total nincompoop. How would SHE like it if I started telling people that "DJ so and so is the next Bozo the Clown?"

BTW - we also see this kind of labeling done retrospectively - when Eartha Kitt died the press was calling her "the original material girl!" - original my butt!

I don't believe it is true, and there is no mention of her ever obtaining a Texas driver's license, nevertheless I have messaged Wendy, asking her to confirm whether or not she has left us. I am awaiting her reply and I will let you know how it all works out.

Here's another sweetie-gone bad: De-throned: The Queen of Hispanic America.

The Israeli strikes on Gaza cause Jamaican blogger Annie Paul to recall Nobel Prize-winning German author Günter Grass' “heartfelt rumination on war and the role of writers in times of war”, saying: “While Grass did not explicitly mention bloggers (perhaps in 2006 they were not as omnipresent as they are today) everything he had to say about the responsibility of writers can and should be applied to us.”

There are photos of the aftermath of the attacks on Rafah at Rafah Today.

Eva Bartlett has written about the situation at Shifa hospital in Gaza City (please be aware that many of the images are disturbing). Sameh A. Habeeb, who is a blogger and journalist in Gaza City, has also described the situation in hospitals

New York State Health Commissioner Richard Daines has recorded a YouTube manifesto in defense of Governor David Paterson's so-called "fat tax" - an 18 percent levy on sugary drinks like non-diet soda. More (and the video) from Liz Benjamin.

“The groundbreaking 3D party palace invention is taking The Bongo Virus' New Years Eve party to the next level, by enabling users the opportunity to create their own individual avatars within the one space, whilst partying with the heiress herself,” said founder of Webcruzer and sponsor of the online party, 24-year-old Paul Flammea.

“Exit Reality is excited to be involved in what is going to be an exceptional online experience. Now we can move into all the technology, laser lights, streaming music, streaming video, dancing etc. This is going to be a very exciting New Years Eve,” said founder of ExitReality and inventor of the 3D technology, Danny Stefanic.

The Bongo Virus is a new platform that converges mobile phone and internet applications in one solution. Launching this December 31st with the world's largest New Years Eve party, ExitReality, a free internet plug-in that converts the entire World Wide Web into 3D and Webcruzer, a recession busting business website solution, have now also jumped onto the party bandwagon as sponsor.

The 3D party palace will plunge users into another universe with its realistic replica of the Sydney NYE party. From the paparazzi and photographers following Paris Hilton, to nightclub dancing on the main dance floor, users will be able to experience the unimaginable. The 3D party website can be accessed at: http://www.bongovirusnye3d.com/

Sunday, December 28, 2008

For years she was little more than a distant gleam in the greater American public eye (outside New York City, that is) - now, she's catching up - or maybe trying to catch US up. Almost as if she were trying out for the team, Caroline Kennedy is popping up here and there and over there.

Caroline hosted The 31st annual Kennedy Center Honors, which taped December 7 - before she made headlines by announcing her political ambitions. While her appearance on the program would have been moot at most any other time, this year is a very different story. Because it was taped BEFORE she announced, it will be interesting to try and figure out whether she "knew" she was going to announce and conducted herself in a certain fashion while the cameras were turned on... Celebs Morgan Freeman, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend of The Who, Twyla Tharp, George Jones and Barbra Streisand comprised the group of honorees who received Kennedy Center Honors at Pennsylvania Avenue. Oddly enough, on blogs where it is mentioned that Beyoncé Knowles will be making an appearance, that mere mention draws negative comments (like: "Puh-leeze. If I see Audrey Hepburn in the same sentence as Be Yonce Eh again" from ***), some traceable back to this particular post.

Not necessarily a surprise: If we are to believe the New York Times, Caroline Kennedy[who, according toHuffPo"...friends describe as unflashy but determined, wrestled with whether to give up what has been a lifetime of avoiding the spotlight."] is positioning for the US Senate seat expected to be vacated soon by Hillary clinton... (more) On Governor David Paterson's short list are also NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Congresswomen Kirsten Gillibrand and Carolyn Maloney, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, and of course, The Nanny.

New York Governor David Paterson has some soul-searching to do in picking a replacement for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. [New York Magazine] ... The Weekly Standard pointed out that "New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has long been seen as a likely primary opponent to Paterson in 2010, and given his famous name and fundraising base, he's likely to offer a stiff challenge. Paterson will surely be tempted to dispatch Cuomo to Washington--if he's willing to go. Recent reports say Cuomo would turn the job down, but his attitude might change once the discussion moves past hypotheticals."

On the road to become a NY Senator, Caroline has thrown down the gauntlet before Chuck Schumer's feet: Referring to Senator Schumer's annual visit to every corner of the state of New York, Caroline quipped "I could race Chuck Schumer around all 62 counties and, you know, we'll see who wins." Liz Benjamin has details... Caroline Kennedy also did an interview with NY1 that aired Friday night. She said two events shaped her decision to ask Gov. David Paterson 11 days ago to consider her for the position if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state: the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and her work for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

chicagotribune.com — In an age when the adult populations of most industrialized nations have grown significantly taller, the average height of black women in the U.S. has been receding, beginning with those born in the late 1960s.

Friday, December 26, 2008

The latest in the saga of Caroline K for NY Senator: The gauntlet thrown down before Chuck Schumer: "I could race Chuck Schumer around all 62 counties and, you know, we'll see who wins." Liz Benjamin has details... Caroline Kennedy also did an interview with NY1 that is airing tonight at 7. She said two events shaped her decision to ask Gov. David Paterson 11 days ago to consider her for the position if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state: the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and her work for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Things are not good and getting worse (in the print media world) - Gawker proclaims "the media depression" has arrived.

Let the Shopping Spree begin - Okay - we are in phase 2, and it is Friday, December 26th, being introduced on the TV news as "the second Black Friday."

What's particularly appealing about Christmas 08 is the fact that many employers have given today, the day after, as a "day off." A perfect time to begin preparations for next week's holiday: New Year's Day.

Have you given any thought to resolutions for 2009? The best thing to do is hone in on 5 things you want to accomplish, 5 things in relatively easy reach but presenting a particular puzzle or challenge. I have one very serious challenge before me, so much so that I am considering authoring one of this niche "targeted" blogs to "cover" and detail the day by day events surrounding this issue. I want to do the blog anonymously, for several reasons.

Now, this particular blog racked up some holiday numbers fro just a few specific posts in the period between Saturday and Christmas Midnight. They are, in popular order:

1 - People who were giving or receiving the GPXML638b pocket video player.

5 - Judging from where the traffic originated incoming to Get Your Blog Noticed, a lot of people either got a computer for Christmas or had nothing to do but surf the net on Christmas Day... just 5 more hits on this post would have put it in position number 4!

It seemed more crowded under this year's Christmas Tree than in previous years. (see grainy cellphone photo) The ACTUAL gift count was fewer: the packages were larger and represented more clothing purhcases (coats, hats, mittens, etc.) and after all the presents were unwrapped, everyone was delighted with his or her gifts. Hope YOU had a wonderful, bountiful Christmas.

We attended Church services on Christmas Eve, and elsewhere in the city of Albany, Pastor Charlie Muller played Santa for the girls at St. Ann's and for kids in some of the poorer, tougher neighborhoods. Christams Day we were off to the annual family holiday bash in Manhattan.

More contemporary advice from Liz B: "In the brave new world of YouTube, blogs and 24-hour media coverage, no matter how badly you publicly screw up, someone else's screw up is always going to supplant yours, so just ride out the storm. It won't last long."

and, before we leave the world of politics, Gothamist reports that the drama over whether NY State Senator-elect Hiram Monserrate assaulted his girlfriend continues!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

DJ VADIM writes on his MySpace blog: "...the new dj vadim song - 'hidden treasure ' featuring the amazing sabira jade and kwasi taken from the forthcoming brand new album - u can't lurn imaginashun... [IS AVAILABLE] for net streaming this week only! its like the 4th track in... Hey DJ, Merry Christmas to you too!

Car sales continue to plummet; Toyota posts the first LOSS in the company's 70-year history, and despite the "automaker's bailout" people can't get the credit to need to buy cars anyway, so what's the point?

Dyed-in-the-wool democrats are overheard referring to Caroline Kennedy as "Sharpie's Harpie" while CBS News reports Kennedy's press releases on policy are signed by an aide, not by Caroline herself.

Discounts as deep as 70% aren't luring Christmas shoppers out, and there are 2 days left until...

Ukrainiana writes about and posts video of a very loud protest in Kyiv: “On December 22, at noon, Kyivites honked their horns to protest against rampant government corruption and endless power struggles wrecking the Ukrainian Dream amid the country’s deepest economic crisis since the early ‘90s.”

There isn't a bone, joint or muscle in my body that didn't get a workout cleaning up after our weekend double-storm whammy. Precious few days left before Xmas and I am far behind on my gift shopping and my budget is LOST!

In my work as a journalist, I've often encountered press releases and articles written about father's rights groups. One topic that always appears on such material involves child support. I admit I never really gave it much thought while reading the dad's angry complaints. It took a newspaper article to open my eyes and realize how cheap, and penny-pinching some of the woman actually are. I was shocked! A paltry $25 a year has women doing cartwheels, outraged that they are being deprived of 2-dollars and change a month! Oi Vey!

Here's a snippet of the article:

...in September, the single mother in Queensbury, Warren County, learned New York state was going to begin skimming $25 a year off her court-ordered child support payments. The federally mandated fee is now being collected whenever a recipient's payments go over $500 for the year.

"That's a week's worth of school lunches for three kids. That's a pair of sneakers. That's a doctor's office visit," Varmette said. "It's upsetting. I am a single mom, and it's not easy. This is my children's money."

UPSET! Can you believe it? Bitchin' over a lousy two bucks! Maybe those father's rights dudes are onto something! Here's the complete clipping! Some father's rights advocates say that although women CLAIM it's the "children's money" they're actually not spending it on the little tykes.

As you begin to think about what you have or have not accomplished over the past year, take one moment and thank God, praise Allah, that you HAVE a life to live. Be good to yourself, because you all you have. Everything and everyone else is passing quickly thru your life, like water through your hands. In simpler times, people used to get broken up over Dickens' novel "A Christmas Carol" and in the mid-20th century over the motion picture "It's A Wonderful Life." There are many poems that have been written that move us to assess and evaluate and sometimes regret our lives.

Snippet:The picture books are put away,There are no longer games to play,No goodnight kiss, no prayers to hear...That all belongs to yesteryear.

My hands, once busy, now are still.The days are long and hard to fill.I wish I could go back and doThe little things you asked me to.

Costa Rican online humour collective nosedecirlaerre.com which translates into "I can´t pronounce the R" has set out a call for participation from Costa Ricans and those familiar with their culture to create a collaborative video for Christmas.

mashable.com — Over the past year we’ve reviewed sites from just about every cross-section of the web. And yet, so many ground breaking new services haven’t received the recognition they deserve: we aim to set that straight. From niche social networks to job sites and alternative search engines, each of the following excited us in 2008... presenting the 24 Most Underrated Websites of 2008.

How To Survive The Coming Credit Card Crisis via forbes.com — Plastic is shaping up to be the next chapter in the financial meltdown. What you need to know.While the economy tumbles and the government rushes to help stop the housing crisis, another danger is lurking--in your wallet!

During President George W. Bush's valedictory visit to Iraq, an Iraqi journalist launched his shoes at Bush's head during a press conference. Since then, an assortment of games, animated GIF's, videos, and creative websites have appeared to making light of the journalist's shoe toss. (HotHardware.com: Bush Shoe Toss Games Go Viral )

The outcasts of the Egyptian society - the spinsters - are raising their voices in an attempt to change how society views them.

Khokha - the anonymous author of The daily diaries of a sinister spinister - says:انا عشت حبة كل ما اقول رأى ولا كلمة … يردوا فى سرهم ” دى عانس و غيرانة”طب ماشى بقى … شوفوا الدنيا من عين هذى العانس الغيرانةو تابعوا يوميات العانس الحقودThere was a time when every time I opened my mouth or voiced an opinion, they would look at me and say “ah … yes … she is a jealous sinister”. Ok! Fine! Let me show you the world through the eyes of this spinsters … follow my blog… the daily diaries of a sinister sinister.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Global Voicesneeds your financial support in order to remain independent, free and sustainable. Donate today, and declare your commitment to helping amplify stories, images and videos from ordinary people around the global who use the internet to communicate with their fellow world citizens![....]

Achelois: a retired goddesscomments on the animal sacrifice in Islam and the tradition of letting children watch the slaughtering: “I believe that there is no need or reason for us to show animals being killed to young children.”

Welcome The Accolade - the all girl rock band from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, recently released their first song "Pinocchio" on their official facebook page... [:more:] (The girls also have a MySpace page.)

Friday, December 19, 2008

One of the great things about growing up in Albany and New York City is the fact that one encounters a magnificent tapesty of humanity as one makes his or her way thru daily life. I have friends who are Christians, Muslims and Jews. I think I'm pals with an Athiest and a "new ager" too...

When I was coming up the holidays were always times of wonder (and still are). And because the Jewish community has always had a presence in both of my cities, it is common to have knowledge and even observe (in one's own way) the many holidays of various faiths that occur this time of the season.

As a holiday, Chanukah has sometimes seemed like a paler version of Christmas, but in reality it is steeped in special traditions and practices. For one thing, in the 21st century, more people are AWARE of Chanukah than they were, say, back in 1988. We have come along way, and it's great to "share holidays" among good friends. Heck, some people even switch from one religion to another, almost like changing their sox.

So is there gift-giving at Chanukah? Eight nights worth, beginning December 21. Here is Gift-giving advice from the Talmud. Klug’s running a promo where she’s giving away one autographed copy of the book for every night of Chanukah.

Is there food? Yup - LATKES! How about music? What about "carols" like Christians sing at Christmastime? Well, sure BTW --- I found another really neat column written by Nechemia Meyers from Rehovot, Israel. Instead of copying and posting excerpts, I thought you'd enjoy reading the entire article, so kindly click HeRe!!!

Having said that : While I take every precaution to provide my readers with most accurate information and honest analysis, please use your discretion before making any decisions based on the information in this blog. All information is provided on an as-is basis. I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. I will not compensate you in any way whatsoever if you ever happen to suffer a loss/inconvenience/damage because of/while making use of information in this blog. (Author may keep updating old posts on a regular basis and is not bound to explicitly state all corrections made…)